Isn’t It Safer to Just Say No to Fracking in Maryland?

Concerns persist over the shale gas extraction method known as fracking, even as drilling operations set their sights on Western Maryland — where they’ve already leased 160,000 acres for just that purpose.

All three operate under the assumption that money can overcome any negative effect on the environment — the trick is simply dialing in the right sum. But that’s not how the environment works. Sure, you could chop down 136 trees for, say, a car race, and then turn around and plant 150 new ones, but a new tree isn’t the same as a mature one. It’s a raw deal.

Besides, with the extent of the side-effects of fracking largely unknown, what method would we use to determine the amount of reparations?